We Didn't Start The Fire (It Just, Sort Of, Happened?)
by Lolsome-o-sis girl
Summary: [Nick/Katherine] Katherine just wants to sleep. But, apparently, Zac is not going to allow that to happen. Perhaps the situation is not all bad, though.
**We Didn** **'t Start The Fire (It Just, Sort Of, Happened?)**

 _Fandom: Eve_

 _Rating: K+_

 _Genre: Romance, Humor_

 _Pairing: Nick/Katherine_

 _Word count: 1284_

 _Summary: [Nick/Katherine] Katherine just wants to sleep. But, apparently, Zac is not going to allow that to happen. Perhaps the situation is not all bad, though._

* * *

 **AN: Originally chapter eight of my AU Prompts fic, this got kind of longer than I expected, so I thought I'd publish it as a separate story. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **DISCLAIMER. I own nothing.**

* * *

Twenty three hours and counting. That's how long she's been awake.

Katherine drags a hand across her eyes, using her free hand to pull her coat tighter around herself. It's nearly three o'clock in the morning right now, and, after an entire day of studying and turning in assignments, she's exhausted. She's also only taking the short, three minute walk back to the university halls because Hoffman, the librarian, threatened to call security on her if she didn't leave the building willingly, and, to be honest, it's lucky that he had, for Katherine is pretty sure that she would have fallen asleep at the table, if she hadn't been forced to move. The bitter January morning is the only thing keeping her awake now.

The halls are silent when she lets herself in - even Zac and Gwenlan, who usually find themselves falling asleep in front of whatever new films are on Netflix, are in bed - and it takes all of her concentration not to trip over her own two feet, as she climbs the stairs and makes her way to the room she shares with Phil, fumbling in her pocket for her keys and jabbing it towards the lock. Only a few more minutes and she can crawl into bed and not get out for the next two days -

The high-pitched sound of the fire alarm suddenly rips through the air, shrieking somewhere just above her head.

" _No..._ " She whines loudly, screwing her tired eyes shut and trying to think around the ringing in her ears. She has no inclination to follow the other students around her, all starting to crawl out of their beds and make their way outside. She doesn't even have to get inside her room; heck, she's perfectly okay with falling asleep with her head leaning against the door.

Before her forehead can reach, however, the door to the room next to hers flies open and a cloud of smoke billows out, making her stumble backwards. "What the -?"

"Katherine!" The smoke is followed, a few seconds later, by Zac, who's brandishing a frying pan in his left hand, a blanket draped over his shoulder. "Katherine - The alarm -"

"Zac" Katherine fixes him with a serious look. "Please, tell me you did not set the alarm off."

"It was just one slice of bacon -!" Zac starts to protest, but he doesn't continue, realising that, going by the look on Katherine's face, his fellow housemate doesn't want excuses right now. Instead, he points down the corridor with his free hand. "Come on, we'd better go out there and join them."

Most of the other students are already outside by the time that they make it down the stairs, lounging on the grass. Phil is shifting her weight from one foot to the other in an attempt to stay warm; she raises an eyebrow when she sees the others coming.

"Have you been cooking again, Zac?"

"No!" Zac protests, and then glances down at the frying pan in his hand. "Okay. Maybe a little bit."

Phil laughs, looking far too cheerful for someone who's been dragged out of bed at three o'clock in the morning. "I'd dispose of that thing, if I were you, before someone catches you with it. The alarm trips out enough as it is, without people setting it off."

"You're right." Zac glances about him, before flinging the frying pan somewhere to his right; it lands rather comically in the hedge.

Katherine moves to sit on the grass as Phil bursts out laughing, blinking several times to try and keep her eyes open. Given half the chance, she would go to sleep right here and now; the sound of the fire engine in the distance is the only thing keeping her awake.

"Stop fussing," a voice scolds from somewhere behind her; Katherine casts a glance over her shoulder. The guy from next door is standing a few metres away from her spot on the ground, dressed in his pyjamas, arms folded across his chest. Beside him, a blonde, wrapped up in a dressing gown, is scowling. "It's a dodgy university fire alarm. It happens."

"It's the third time this year," the blonde growls, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "How the heck are we supposed to get a good night of sleep in order to go to class on time?"

" _Rebecca_ -" The guy cuts himself off with a sigh, running a hand through his hair and returning his gaze to the smoking building.

Zac's snickering is what brings Katherine's attention back to her friends.

"What?"

"You know _what_." Zac shakes his head, in a pitying fashion. "When are you actually going to go and _talk_ to him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about -"

"You _do_ know what I'm talking about. You've been watching your neighbour for months now. Do you actually know his name?"

"Well, no, but -"

"If you like him that much, don't you think it's about time that you find out that piece of information?"

Katherine looks over her shoulder again. The blonde in the dressing gown has wandered off towards the fire engine that has now pulled up, yelling something at one of the fire fighters, but the guy is still standing in his original spot, rubbing his arms to stay warm.

"You know what," she says, still addressing Zac as she pulls herself off the grass. "I think I will."

"That's the spirit!" Zac takes the blanket from his shoulder and throws it in her direction. "Go get him."

"Good luck," Phil cuts in, raising an eyebrow. "You'll need it."

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that." Katherine gives them both a reproachful look, before setting off in the direction of the guy in question. She doesn't like to admit it, of course, but Phil has a point; she's not exactly the easiest person to get along with. Her friends, namely Zac and Phil, have gotten over the initial bump in the road and taken a liking to her anyway, but with new people, ones who haven't known her for long, it's harder. They don't always looks past the snark that she puts out to the world.

"Cold?" She asks, when she gets close enough.

The guy jumps at the sound of the unexpected voice, but nods. "You could say that."

"You'd better get under here, then." She pulls the blanket around her shoulders - it really _is_ cold - but opens it up to him too. "You'll get sick otherwise."

He looks hesitant at first, but then, it appears that the January conditions get the better of him, because he wraps the blanket around him too, huddling in the warmth.

"Thanks," he says, and there's gratitude in his tone.

"Don't worry about it." Katherine risks a glance over her shoulder; Zac gives her an encouraging thumbs up. "Guess we should introduce ourselves, given our new-found closeness. I'm Katherine."

"Hi, Katherine." He wedges one hand out of the warmth of the blanket, and offers it out to her. "Nick."

 _Nick_. That solves that mystery. "You don't look much like a Nick."

Nick raises an eyebrow. " _You_ don't look much like a Katherine."

She matches his expression. "Maybe it's not my real name. Maybe it's just my alias."

"Yeah?" Nick smirks. "Well. Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you in the future."

* * *

 **Yay! I finally managed some Nick and Katherine!**


End file.
